American Songbook Festival Tickets

Miles Davis said “music and life are all about style”, and it’s no secret that the musical style of the Great American Songbook transformed the sounds of America in the 20th century.
From glorious musical standards on Broadway to roaring jazz parties and red-hot cabarets, the era gave birth to a swag of songwriters, lyricists, composers, vocalists and musicians who together, defined the ‘Golden Era’ of American popular song.

This June and July, Melbourne Recital Centre’s American Songbook Festival celebrates the exceptional song-writing and artistry that developed over the course of the 20th century with a brilliant line-up of local and international artists including Mary Wilson of The Supremes, Australian musical theatre stars Michael Falzon & Bobby Fox and the subversive and sublime Storm Large.

MARY WILSON: UP CLOSE
SATURDAY 13 JUNE 8PM, ELISABETH MURDOCH HALL
"If Wilson's command of stage and song surprises people, then they just haven't really been listening for the past 30 years or so." PopEntertainment.com
Melbourne Recital Centre welcomes back Mary Wilson of the Supremes – Motown royalty, cultural ambassador and iconic entertainer. Get up close and personal with Mary and hear stories and songs from across her celebrated career - thrilling performances of classic American pop songs alongside the standards.
"One singer brought the house down…glory be to the heavens Mary Wilson's luxuriously exquisite voice rang 'like a bell' as they say, and peeled through the cavernous Festival Theatre auditorium so clearly, so beautifully, it brought tears to the eyes." Australian Stage
The Supremes were the most successful vocal group in American history, with 12 #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, countless international tours, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
In Mary Wilson: Up Close you'll hear hits such as My World Is Empty Without You as well as Wilson's own impeccable versions of standards such as New York State of Mind, I Am Changing and Both Sides Now.

STORM LARGE & LE BONHEUR
FRIDAY 19 JUNE 8PM, ELISABETH MURDOCH HALL
Reuniting with her loyal and fearless band, Le Bonheur, Storm Large delivers a collection of tortured and titillating love songs; beautiful, familiar, yet twisted, much like Storm herself.
As lead singer in Pink Martini and finalist in the reality rock show, Rock Star Supernova, you will be swept away by the voice, beauty and visceral talent of Storm Large, an artist who truly lives up to her name.

MICHAEL FALZON & BOBBY FOX:  PAINTED FROM MEMORY
FRIDAY 12 JUNE 8PM, ELISABETH MURDOCH HALL
"Exquisite orchestrations and subtle wordplay." Rolling Stone Magazine
In the late nineties, Burt Bacharach, teamed up with the inimitable Elvis Costello to create the remarkable song God Give Me Strength. Bacharach and Costello continued writing together to earn a Grammy Award for I Still Have That Other Girl from the 1998 album Painted From Memory.
Taking its name from the Bacharach and Costello album, Painted From Memory sees acclaimed Australian musical theatre stars Michael Falzon and Bobby Fox perform a unique reimagining of this classic album along with other classic hits.

Musical Director: Isaac Hayward

Director: Jonathan Biggins